Drier.



R REA.

DRIER.

APPLLOATION FILED AUG. 10, 1914 Patented Jan. 26, 1915 2v SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. REA.

DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 10, 1914.

i, 1 26,56'FQ Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

2 SHBETBSHEET 2.

I //7 we tar,

snares 1 Tam a- '1 ROBERT BEA, F PORTLJPLNI messes,

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Jan, 26, 1211530 Application filed August 10, 1914. Serial H0. 856,00?

5 of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to driers, and more particularly to certain improvements in the general construction and arrangement and operation of driers for drying fruits, vegetables and the like, and by means of which improvements I am able to get better results from all parts of the drier, because of my improved means of heating and circulating the air through the drying chambers.

My invention is of the class sometimes referred to as the tunnel driers, and while i the housing of my drier can be extended to any desired length, instead of taking the air in lengthwise thereof, it take it in through the side and crosswise thereof,

around heating pipes extending lengthwise of the housing, but arranged at different levels with horizontal dividing floors therebetween, and cause it to be passed through the tray frames crosswise thereof. Thus by drawing the a1r across the housing instead of lengthwise thereof, the effect is better because the distance the air must travel is much less.

My drier is so designed that much standard material can be used in its construction, and the amount of air, the temperature thereof, and the speed thereof, can beregulatedso as to get the best results.

In order that others may thoroughly ,understand my invention, I have shown one practical embodlment thereof in the accompanying sheet of drawings, which ll will now describe.

Figure 1 is a perspective sectional view of the drier embodying my invention; Fig. -2 is a vertical sectional View thereof taken on line 22' of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a horizontal to and to control the admission of the air across the heating tray chanfber thus formed. Referring to the drawings, the housing 1 is shown to be of square construction in cross section, and may be extended to any desired length and constructed of any suit-V ing the 1nain drying chamber, and at the opposite side of the housing is the mechanism for causing the air to move through the heating appartinents and across the drying chamber.

Air is admitted to the heating chambers 2, 3 and a, through openings 2 3 and e, extending lengthwise thereof, and controlled by drop doors 2","3", and a Mountcd'in each of said heating chambers, extending lengthwise thereof, is a series of heating pipes, 6, each series being connected with a general supply pipe 7, and each being connected with a drain pipe 8, as clearly indicated in Fig. 1 with suitable valves for regulating the admission of steam or other heating medium to each series.

Theheating chambers 2, 3 and 4: are rriovided with out let openings, 2, 3 and 4-, near their tops, with drop doors 2, 3 and 4 for controlling the same and for directing the air across the drying chamber 5.

Mounted in the middle chamber 5, to one side thereof, is a track 9, upon which suitable cars 10 are run into the drying chamher, The drying trays 11 are mounted upon these cars in an inclined position, and are spaced apart so that the heated air from the heating chambers passes directly between the trays and over and around the matter thereupon.

In order to increase the velocity of the air through the tray frames, 1 provide at opposite sides thereofsheet metal plates or covers, as 12, a fragmentary view of which is shown in Fig. l, havingtherein transversely I Way in front of the trays, as clearly-indi cated in Fig. 3, for the purposeof directing I more or less heated. air through one seriesof trays, or through onportion thereof, as '5 at one end of a caroftrays, as will be read,- ily understood from the dra in-gs. These v doors also prevent the passing of the air lengthwise of the drying chamber and tend to directit crosswise thereof. These {doors .lo 13- can be swung. around flatvvise against the ends of the cars in an 'out f-the-W-ay position when desired.

in the remaining spaee-of the-housing are 15 three suctionlpipes, 14,15 and 16, extending lengthwise ef' the housing at 'difi'erent levels, corresponding to the le'vels of the three heating chambers, 2, 3 and l, and are connected with a -mai'n.pipe l7, Whichjis con- ..20 nected'directly-to'a fan, "at 18-,Which. oper- 7 ates to drawthe 'air'through the housing and discharges-it through the pipe 19', Fig.

1 '1." The pipes 14, 15 and 16, are open along their inner sides, next to theback-sides of 25. the. trays,and are provided With flaring extension members, as 20, 21 and22, which "form funnel-likeconnections from a point near the rear of the trays 1 1 to the respecr' tive'pipes' 14, lt'rand 16, as shown, these flar- 111;; connections corresponding, respectively,

- to the area directly opposite the, three'heat-" ing chambers 2, 3 and 4. Damper-like 1nem hers '20, 21 and'EZL" "are alsmprovided,

'd'rawingit any considerable distance, as is I the case Where the air passes lengthwise of the housing. Bydrawing it in at three dif- [ferent levels, through three different heating a chambers at. different levels, I get a-more uniform result, and the treatme'nt'of the material on the lower trays isthe same as that on-' the. upper trays. By providing the swinging doors in the Wa1k-Way, in' front of the tray cars, I am able to'direct the heated air Where most needed and to' prevent its circulating lengthwise of the drying chamher And by providing the slotted fronts" andbacks, 12, for the tray cars, thehe'ated zfir drawn through the cars of trays, oross-' Wise thereof, iscau'sed to move faster because of the reduced size of the passageways into-the trays of, matter'being dried, and

thusbetter drying results are secured.

I am aware that changes can .bemade from Q the embodiment of my: inventionas here At the opposite side ofthe' tray cars-and.

illustrated and described Without departing from thespirit thereof, and I do not .limitf the invention to this particularv form, except as I-may be limited by the hereto appended claims? I, v

r a 1, In a drier of the character referred to,

a housing-having arranged therein at one side thereof, a plurality of heating chambers one above'the other-with heating means iheach, andfh'avin-g along side thereof a drying chamber, means for supporting drylng trays in said drying chamber in vertical tiers, a plurality of airpipes connected one above the other iWith a fan'and having flaring extension-members from their: sides to points adjacent said dryingt rays and oppo' 'site said heatingcha'mbers, and means for regulating the admission and passage of air through "said. several heating chambers, across sa d .dryi ngch ambers and drying trays'to said air pipes, substantiallyas de scribed.

2. In a drier of the character referred to, in combination,a drying chamber, a'track therein, cars adapted to support, a series of "drying trays thereon, and door member's mounted to be swung across-the drying lehamber atvarious angles infront of said trays, for the purpose referred to.

heating and supplying heated air thereto, 7 and means for causing said heated air to pass across said drying chamber compris ding a pipe connected with a fan and open along' its side and having flaring extension 3. In a drying apparatusof the character referred-to, a drying chamber,.means.for

'mcmbers opening toward said drying cham' 7 her; substantially as described.

"4. A drier offthe character referred to comprising a long housing, -.a plurality of heating chambers arranged one above-the other and extending along one side thereof, Y

with openings atopposite sides to permit the passage of air across the same, means 3 therein for heating said air, a track "exte'nding lengthwiseof said housing adjacent said heating chambers, cars ofdrying itrays for said track, a plurality of, air-pipes arranged along said housing one'above-the other and open along theirsides next to said trays and having flaring; extensions toward'said t rays,.

*and a fan 'con' nected to said airv pipes, 'fOl drawing described. v

. A' drier "of the characterreferred \to comprising a long housing, a plurality of air thereth-rough, substantially as jheating chambers arranged one "above the? other and extending along one side thereof, w th openings at opposite s desto permit thepassage of a r across the same, means therein for heatingsaid air, means for con trolling said openings, tiers of dryingtray's arranged along side of said heating cham- .bers,,-door members from ,sa d here of trays and projecting toward said heating chaming crosswise thereof, substantially as debers, said trays being supported in inclined scribed. V 10 positions, a plurality of air pipes arranged Signed at Portland, Multnomah county,

along the opposite side of said trays and Oregon, this 3rd day of August, 1914.

5 having'their sides open and providedwith ROBERT REA.

flaring extensions toward said trays, and a In presence offan connected with said air pipes for-eaus- CLYDE EVANS, ing a circulation of air through said hens-n F. E. LITZENBERG. 

